A Glossary of Masonic Terms

Freemasons have their own lingo, like many organizations. They give special meaning to some common words and have terms you won’t hear anywhere but in a Masonic lodge. The following list is a glossary of sorts for some common Masonic phrases:

Appendant bodies: Masonically affiliatedgroups that Masons or their relatives may join.

Degree: One of three progressive stages of advancement in the lodge, conferred using a ritual ceremony; additional degrees are conferred by appendant bodies.

Grand Lodge: A governing organization with authority over the individual lodges in its jurisdiction.

Grip or token: A special identifying handshake used by Masons to identify each other, different for each degree.

Hoodwink: Blindfold worn by candidates during portions of degree ceremonies.

Initiated: The completion by a candidate of the 1st Masonic degree.

Light: Masonic knowledge.

Lodge: A group of Freemasons assembling under the authority of a charter issued by a Grand Lodge; also a building or a room where Masons meet.

Operative: The period of Freemasonry when Masons actually worked with stone and constructed buildings

Passed: The completion by a Mason of the 2nd degree.

Profane: A non-Mason.

Raised: The completion by a Mason of the 3rd degree.

Recognized: The agreement between Masonic Grand Lodges that each other’s rules and customs conform to a certain accepted standard.

Regular: A classification of Freemasonry that practices customs which conform to the laws and regulations of a Grand Lodge.

Sign: A hand gesture used as a mode of identification between Masons, different for each degree.

Sitting in the East: The position in the lodge room where the Worshipful Master sits, also known as the Oriental chair; lodges are symbolically situated east and west.

Speculative: Freemasonry as practiced today, using the symbolism of Operative Masons to build character in men.

Step: A position of the feet used as a mode of recognition between Masons, different for each degree.

Word or pass: A password used as a mode of recognition between Masons, different for each degree.